‘Palamig’ stalls under MHD scrutiny

The local government of Manila has launched a multi-point action plan after a University of the Philippines Manila study found drug-resistant bacteria in all 12 sampled street beverage stalls in Tondo.

Manila City Health officer Dr. Grace Padilla said Wednesday the findings are being treated as a high-priority public health concern.

The Manila Health Department (MHD) will begin its response by re-inspecting the 12 specific sites mentioned in the study, followed by a sweep of street beverage vendors across all six districts of the city.

The study, conducted by the UP Manila College of Public Health, identified contaminated water and ice as the primary sources of risk.

In response, Padilla said the city will now require all vendors to use only certified potable water and ice from approved suppliers. Proof of certification will be mandatory during sanitary inspections.

To address the root causes of contamination, the city will develop a mandatory hygiene training program in coordination with UP Manila.

The course will cover hand-washing, safe food handling, and the proper cleaning of containers. Vendors who complete the training will receive a certificate to display at their stalls.

“We will give them certification to motivate them to follow correct hygiene procedures,” Padilla said.

In an effort to encourage compliance among small-scale vendors, Padilla announced that the city plans to offer free water potability testing.

Rather than requiring vendors to visit the public health laboratory, city personnel will conduct on-site sampling at the stalls.